Biodiesel presents its share of problems
The fastest growing alternative fuel in the country, embraced by the likes of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, could soon be pumping out of Santa Monica.
After more than two years of planning and searching, City Hall is closing in on a location for a temporary biodiesel fueling station, a vegetable oil-powered commodity that is often difficult to acquire on the Westside.
It’s all part of the Biodiesel Demonstration Project which is aimed at educating residents about the benefits of biodiesel while providing a means to obtain the alternative fuel, all with the intention of spurring more stations in the future as a result of increased demand.
There are currently only a handful of stations on the Westside that offer a biodiesel pump, including a gas station in Brentwood and the Pacific Palisades.
4C3,“If (the temporary station) was favorable, we will look at identifying a permanent location that could be a larger facility providing biodiesel for people who choose to use it,” said Assistant City Manager Gordon Anderson.
Biodiesel is a non-toxic biodegradable alternative fuel used as a substitute for petroleum diesel, made from a process called transesterification which separates the glycerin from fat or vegetable oil, a source often found in biodiesel.
The renewable fuel is considered the fastest growing in the country, with 250 million gallons produced in the United States in 2006. That number ballooned to 500 million in 2007 and roughly 2 billion gallons is estimated by 2015.
“Overall people see biodiesel as more energy-secured fuel and are willing to make sacrifices as far as spending a little bit more to use biodiesel,” Amber Thurlo Pearson, spokeswoman for trade group the National Biodiesel Board, said. “It helps our economy and our country as opposed to other countries.”
Several locations have been considered as sites for the temporary station, including a privately-owned piece of property on High Place and Delaware Avenue, and an old nursery at the corner of Delaware and Frank Street.
The Santa Monica Fire Department ruled out both sites, finding them insufficient to accommodate the large 12,000 gallon above-ground tanks proposed for these stations. But city officials are taking a second look at the nursery, which sits on city-owned property.
Green Depot, a Santa Monica-based non-profit organization, has been working with City Hall the past few years on the demonstration project, helping city officials find a location for the temporary station.
“We’re looking for a space where we could put an above ground tank but have it be at a non traditional gas station,” Joe Gershen, the founder of Green Depot, said. “Ultimately, it (permanently) would be best at a gas station. I think there are only one or two in all of LA County today that have biodiesel.”
City Hall is expected to begin seeking an operator for the station this summer. A project cost has not yet been determined.
While biodiesel costs are comparable to petroleum diesel, the alternative fuel is lauded for its positive influence on the environment, its only vice being the emission of nitrous oxide, which is higher than in regular diesel, according to Dean Kubani, the environmental programs manager for City Hall.
“Most residents who are interested in this have pretty much changed over and are out there buying drums of the fuel themselves and having it delivered to their house,” Kubani said. “The biggest encouragement is to make it easier to get the fuel.
“By opening a fueling facility to the public in Santa Monica, it would encourage a lot more people to change to biodiesel,” he said.
City Hall is among the biggest fans of biodiesel, its municipal fleet consisting of 81 vehicles using B50 fuel, a mixture of 50 percent biodiesel and 50 percent petroleum. Some of the older Big Blue Buses are running on B20, according to Rick Sikes, the fleet supervisor.
There are differences between the biodiesel used on the city fleet and the fuel used commonly by the average consumer, which Sikes said is reclaimed vegetable oil and can spell bad news for the car.
“I don’t recommend doing that because the whole idea is to use petroleum and save energy and resources,” Sikes said. “If you’re damaging the engine, you’re not saving much in resource.”
Santa Monica-based Taxi Taxi, debut a line of biodiesel Mercedes S-Class vehicles in 2006. The company purchased several diesel luxury vehicles and converted them to biodiesel at a Los Angeles-based biodiesel and vegetable oil conversion company.
Taxi Taxi spokeswoman Wendy Radwan said the company eventually spent approximately $15,000 to purchase and convert eight vehicles, all of which lasted for only several months before they were replaced by eight Toyota hybrids.
The problem centered on the load and mileage of the vehicles, Radwan said, pointing out that the average biodiesel car isn’t used for commercial purposes. The lone biodiesel-converted vehicle is running on petroleum diesel and will soon be phased out.
“With gas prices approaching $4.50 and diesel over $5, we couldn’t be more thrilled with the direction of the hybrids,” Radwan said.
Jump hedline: Biodiesel presents its share of problems
Suggested pullquote: “By opening a fueling facility to the public in Santa Monica, it would encourage a lot more people to change to biodiesel.”
Dean Kubani
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 3, 2008. Read the original PDF.